Ipswich Town could look to League Two for Leif Davis replacement: View | OneFootball

Ipswich Town’s Leif Davis may have to make a difficult decision this summer when it comes to his future.

The Tractor Boys signed the defender in 2022 from Leeds United in a deal that was worth £1.2 million.

Since joining the club, Davis has established himself as Ipswich’s regular left-back and one of the best full-backs in the Football League.

Ipswich are flying high at the top of the Championship, and Davis has been a big part of that success, playing 34 times, scoring one goal, and recording an impressive 14 assists.

It could be said that the 24-year-old has been Ipswich’s best player this season, so it is no surprise to see that he is being linked with a move away in the summer.

It has been reported that Premier League sides Newcastle United and West Ham United are interested in signing Leif Davis and are keeping eyes on him ahead of the summer.

While it has also been mentioned that Nottingham Forest are also interested in the 24-year-old.

The defender’s performances last season and now in this campaign have seen him rise high and become one of the best full-backs in the Football League for defending and attacking.

Ipswich will be keen to secure Davis’ future beyond this summer transfer window, and they will hope possible promotion to the Premier League will strengthen that cause. But if not, it has been reported before now, that the Tractor Boys would be looking for around £20 million for Davis.

So, Ipswich may be facing the prospect of losing their key defender, and therefore, they will need to have suitable replacements in mind. One left-back they should be keeping an eye on is MK Dons defender Joe Tomlinson, someone who has been impressing this season.

Ipswich should look to Joe Tomlinson as a possible Leif Davis replacement

Ipswich find themselves in a difficult position, as they will want to keep hold of Leif Davis this summer, but they will also know they need to be realistic and give themselves options should the defender be sold.

Therefore, if the Tractor Boys are looking at possible replacements, then MK Dons’ Joe Tomlinson should be very high on the list, as he’s impressed enormously for the League Two side this season.

Tomlinson is only 23, so he is still very young, and while he is already playing at a decent level, there is still room for him to improve more.

The left-back has started 29 of the 32 games he has been available for in the league, averaging 83 minutes per game. In those games, Tomlinson has scored six goals, scoring one every 440 minutes of football, as per Sofascore.com.

Furthermore, the 23-year-old loves to get forward, just like Davis, with him averaging 2.2 shots per game. The defender has missed three big chances, but he has been key in creating chances for his teammates.

Tomlinson has grabbed six assists, with him creating an impressive 11 big chances so far this season, and that has helped him record 1.8 key passes along the way.

While defensively, Tomlinson has made 1.6 tackles per game, with him winning the ball back 0.8 times and only being dribbled past 0.5 times per game, as per Sofascore.com.

The MK Dons player is producing very impressive numbers in what is his first season at the club, having joined from Peterborough United in the summer. The defender has bounced around a few clubs in recent seasons, but this campaign has been the player's most impressive by a clear mile.

The concern would be that Tomlinson doesn’t have much experience in the Championship, with him only having five appearances under his belt so far. But under Kieran McKenna, he could be seen as a player to excel, and given how well he is doing now, you would expect him to do even better in a well-structured but attacking side like Ipswich.

If Davis does leave Ipswich, the Tractor Boys will likely have a lot of cash to spend, so they will need to be careful that MK Dons don’t try to exploit them for that. But given the difference in sides, it shouldn’t take too much for Ipswich to get a deal over the line if they wanted to.